After raging for more than a decade, the school vouchers debate is headed for a constitutional showdown. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a challenge to the six-year-old program in Cleveland that provides public funds for tuition at religious and other private schools. A federal appeals court ruled the program improperly subsidizes religious schools. Voucher supporters hope to reverse the ruling and eliminate constitutional doubts over vouchers, which they say improve educational opportunities and spur educational reform. Opponents say that whatever the high court rules, they will continue to resist vouchers because they divert money and attention from public schools — the schools attended by 90 percent of U.S. children.

Kenneth Jost is Supreme Court editor, CQ Press; associate editor, CQ Researcher; and author of The Supreme Court Yearbook since the 1992-1993 edition.